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next few minutes were fear； then may God help the coward；
for cowardice is of a surety its own punishment。
To be held paralyzed； with one's back toward some horrible
and unknown danger from the very sound of which the
ferocious Apache warriors turn in wild stampede； as a flock of
sheep would madly flee from a pack of wolves； seems to me
the last word in fearsome predicaments for a man who had
ever been used to fighting for his life with all the energy of a
powerful physique。
Several times I thought I heard faint sounds behind me as
of somebody moving cautiously； but eventually even these
ceased； and I was left to the contemplation of my position
without interruption。 I could but vaguely conjecture the cause
of my paralysis； and my only hope lay in that it might pass off
as suddenly as it had fallen upon me。
Late in the afternoon my horse； which had been standing
with dragging rein before the cave； started slowly down the
trail； evidently in search of food and water； and I was left
alone with my mysterious unknown companion and the dead
body of my friend； which lay just within my range of vision
upon the ledge where I had placed it in the early morning。
From then until possibly midnight all was silence； the
silence of the dead； then； suddenly； the awful moan of the
morning broke upon my startled ears； and there came again
from the black shadows the sound of a moving thing； and a
faint rustling as of dead leaves。 The shock to my already
overstrained nervous system was terrible in the extreme； and
with a superhuman effort I strove to break my awful bonds。
It was an effort of the mind； of the will； of the nerves； not
muscular； for I could not move even so much as my little
finger； but none the less mighty for all that。 And then
something gave； there was a momentary feeling of nausea； a sharp
click as of the snapping of a steel wire； and I stood with my
back against the wall of the cave facing my unknown foe。
And then the moonlight flooded the cave； and there before
me lay my own body as it had been lying all these hours；
with the eyes staring toward the open ledge and the hands
resting limply upon the ground。 I looked first at my lifeless
clay there upon the floor of the cave and then down at myself
in utter bewilderment； for there I lay clothed； and yet here I
stood but naked as at the minute of my birth。
The transition had been so sudden and so unexpected that
it left me for a moment forgetful of aught else than my
strange metamorphosis。 My first thought was； is this then
death！ Have I indeed passed over forever into that other life！
But I could not well believe this； as I could feel my heart
pounding against my ribs from the exertion of my efforts to
release myself from the anaesthesis which had held me。 My
breath was coming in quick； short gasps； cold sweat stood out
from every pore of my body； and the ancient experiment of
pinching revealed the fact that I was anything other than a
wraith。
Again was I suddenly recalled to my immediate surroundings
by a repetition of the weird moan from the depths of the
cave。 Naked and unarmed as I was； I had no desire to face
the unseen thing which menaced me。
My revolvers were strapped to my lifeless body which； for
some unfathomable reason； I could not bring myself to touch。
My carbine was in its boot； strapped to my saddle； and as my
horse had wandered off I was left without means of defense。
My only alternative seemed to lie in flight and my decision
was crystallized by a recurrence of the rustling sound from
the thing which now seemed； in the darkness of the cave and
to my distorted imagination； to be creeping stealthily upon me。
Unable longer to resist the temptation to escape this horrible
place I leaped quickly through the opening into the starlight
of a clear Arizona night。 The crisp； fresh mountain air
outside the cave acted as an immediate tonic and I felt new
life and new courage coursing through me。 Pausing upon the
brink of the ledge I upbraided myself for what now seemed
to me wholly unwarranted apprehension。 I reasoned with
myself that I had lain helpless for many hours within the
cave； yet nothing had molested me； and my better judgment；
when permitted the direction of clear and logical reasoning；
convinced me that the noises I had heard must have resulted
from purely natural and harmless causes； probably the
conformation of the cave was such that a slight breeze had
caused the sounds I heard。
I decided to investigate； but first I lifted my head to fill my
lungs with the pure； invigorating night air of the mountains。
As I did so I saw stretching far below me the beautiful vista
of rocky gorge； and level； cacti…studded flat； wrought by the
moonlight into a miracle of soft splendor and wondrous enchantment。
Few western wonders are more inspiring than the beauties
of an Arizona moonlit landscape； the silvered mountains in
the distance； the strange lights and shadows upon hog back
and arroyo； and the grotesque details of the stiff； yet beautiful
cacti form a picture at once enchanting and inspiring； as
though one were catching for the first time a glimpse of some
dead and forgotten world； so different is it from the aspect of
any other spot upon our earth。
As I stood thus meditating； I turned my gaze from the
landscape to the heavens where the myriad stars formed a
gorgeous and fitting canopy for the wonders of the earthly
scene。 My attention was quickly riveted by a large red star
close to the distant horizon。 As I gazed upon it I felt a spell
of overpowering fascinationit was Mars； the god of war；
and for me； the fighting man； it had always held the power of
irresistible enchantment。 As I gazed at it on that far…gone
night it seemed to call across the unthinkable void； to lure me
to it； to draw me as the lodestone attracts a particle of iron。
My longing was beyond the power of opposition； I closed
my eyes； stretched out my arms toward the god of my vocation
and felt myself drawn with the suddenness of thought through
the trackless immensity of space。 There was an instant of
extreme cold and utter darkness。
CHAPTER III
MY ADVENT ON MARS
I opened my eyes upon a strange and weird landscape。 I
knew that I was on Mars； not once did I question either my
sanity or my wakefulness。 I was not asleep； no need for pinching
here； my inner consciousness told me as plainly that I was
upon Mars as your conscious mind tells you that you are upon
Earth。 You do not question the fact； neither did I。
I found myself lying prone upon a bed of yellowish；
mosslike vegetation which stretched around me in all directions
for interminable miles。 I seemed to be lying in a deep； circular
basin； along the outer verge of which I could distinguish the
irregularities of low hills。
It was midday； the sun was shining full upon me and the
heat of it was rather intense upon my naked body； yet no
greater than would have been true under similar conditions on
an Arizona desert。 Here and there were slight outcroppings
of quartz…bearing rock which glistened in the sunlight； and
a little to my left； perhaps a hundred yards； appeared a low；
walled enclosure about four feet in height。 No water； and
no other vegetation than the moss was in evidence； and as I
was somewhat thirsty I determined to do a little exploring。
Springing to my feet I received my first Martian surprise；
for the effort； which on Earth would have brought me standing
upright； carried me into the Martian air to the height of about
three yards。 I alighted softly upon the ground； however； without
appreciable shock or jar。 Now commenced a series of
evolutions which even then seemed ludicrous in the extreme。
I found that I must learn to walk all over again； as the muscular
exertion which carried me easily and safely upon Earth played
strange antics with me upon Mars。
Instead of progressing in a sane and dignified manner； my
attempts to walk resulted in a variety of hops which took me
clear of the ground a couple of feet at each step and landed
me sprawling upon my face or back at the end of each second
or third hop。 My muscles； perfectly attuned and accustomed
to the force of gravity on Earth； played the mischief with me
in attempting for the first time to cope with the lesser gravitation
and lower air pressure on Mars。
I was determined； however； to explore the low structure
which was the only evidence of habitation in sight； and so I
hit upon the unique plan of reverting to first principles in
locomotion； creeping。 I did fairly well at this and in a few
moments had reached the low； encircling wall of the enclosure。
There appeared to be no doors or windows upon the side
nearest me； but as the wall was but about four feet high I
cautiously gained my feet and peered over the top upon the
str